How to Choose a Roofer in Ireland

Stationary scaffold beside a white pebbledash Irish-style house with a dark tiled roof on an overcast day. — AI-generated illustration of access equipment at an Irish-style home, not a scaffold design or contractor portfolio photograph.

Hiring a roofer means paying for work that may be difficult to inspect from the ground. Check who you are hiring, what they propose and what the written price includes before agreeing to the work. This guide gives you practical questions, records to request and warning signs to consider.

The non-negotiables

However you found the roofer, these four things are not optional.

Public liability insurance

Ask for an insurance certificate and check the business name, dates and insured work. Public liability and employers' liability address different risks; cover depends on the policy's terms, exclusions and limits. A certificate is not a guarantee that faulty workmanship or every loss will be covered. If the scope is unclear, ask the named insurer or broker to clarify before hiring.

A written, itemised quote

Ask for a written, itemised quote that identifies the business, proposed work, materials, access, exclusions, total price and payment terms. A brief price alone may leave important disagreements unresolved. The detail matters more than headed paper.

A verifiable address

Many legitimate sole traders work from a mobile phone and a van. What matters is traceability: confirm the legal or trading name, a contact address and a working means of contact. For a company, compare the details with public records; lack of a landline or van signage does not by itself indicate dishonesty.

Recent local references

Ask about recent comparable jobs and whether a customer has agreed to be contacted. A newer business may have fewer references, so consider the available evidence as a whole and resolve gaps before committing. Do not pay for an unnecessary job simply to test the contractor.

How to verify what a roofer tells you

Company registration. Irish companies are registered with the Companies Registration Office. You can search the public register at core.cro.ie for the company name and see whether it exists, is active, and matches the address you were given. A sole trader is not incorporated as a company, but may have a registered business name on CRO records. Check the legal entity and trading name separately; a claimed "Ltd" that cannot be found needs clarification.

Insurance certificate. As above: insurer name, in-date policy, roofing work covered. Take a photo of it.

SEAI registration. Only relevant for grant-supported work such as attic insulation. SEAI grant work must be carried out by a contractor on SEAI's registered list. See SEAI roof insulation grants for how that works.

A note on CIRI. Registration rules depend on the current legal position and the type of work. Ask which register or organisation a contractor means, what membership covers and where the entry can be checked. Do not treat a logo or claimed registration as proof of suitability. Our registration explainer records the dated position and remains subject to a publication-day legal-status check.

Anatomy of an itemised roofing quoteIllustrative layout only. Not a real quotation, price, offer or contract.

QUOTATION CHECKLISTRoofline replacement

Ask the contractor to complete each part for your property.

Business details
Name, business contact details and address

Document details
Property, quote reference, date and validity

1 Scope: Identify the elevations and measured lengths. State full replacement or capping, what is included and what is excluded.
2 Materials: List the board and gutter specifications, finish and proposed ventilation arrangements.
3 Access: Describe the access equipment, who arranges it and whether its cost is included or separate.
4 Removal and waste: Set out removal of the old materials, disposal and the agreed clean-up.
5 Price and extras: Show itemised amounts, VAT treatment and the total. Explain how concealed damage or other extras will be priced and agreed before extra work.
6 Timing and payment: Record the planned start, estimated finish, deposit if any and payment stages. Keep a record of payments.
7 Guarantee: Get the provider, duration, scope and exclusions in writing. Distinguish workmanship cover from a materials warranty.

Total including applicable VATAmount to be supplied by the contractor

Compare the same scope across written quotes. Do not treat a low headline price as a complete description of the job.

See CCPC guidance on written details before building work, checked 31 August 2026. This is our editorial example, not a CCPC-approved contract template.

Reading a roofing quote

For context on scale: a small repair might run €150 to €400, a full re-roof on a typical 3-bed semi roughly €8,000 to €14,000 with concrete tiles, more for natural slate. Whatever the size of the job, a proper quote itemises:

Access: scaffolding or tower, included or separate, and who organises it
Materials by specification: "new breathable membrane and treated battens" rather than "materials"
Strip-out and waste: removal and disposal of old material
The guarantee: what it covers (workmanship, materials or both), for how long, and in writing
Payment schedule: stage payments tied to progress are normal on bigger jobs. A modest deposit to cover materials is common. Demands for most or all of the money up front are not

Get two or three written quotes for anything beyond a small repair. Compare both price and scope. A lower total may exclude access, disposal or necessary repairs, while a higher total is not proof of better work. Ask the contractor to explain material differences.

Red flags

Pause and seek clarification when you encounter these warning signs. Consider the circumstances and available evidence rather than treating one detail as proof of dishonesty:

Cash only, or a discount for cash with no paperwork
"We're working in the area today" cold callers, especially after storms
No written quote, or a quote that will not itemise
Pressure to decide immediately, or a price that drops if you sign today
Unclear business identity or contact details that cannot be checked
Asking for the full amount, or most of it, before work begins
Unmarked claims of official registration or endorsement that you cannot verify

Storm damage brings out the worst of this. After severe weather, genuine roofers are booked out and chancers go door to door. Our storm damage and insurance checklist covers that situation step by step.

Guarantees and grants

Get any guarantee in writing: who provides it, the covered work, exclusions, duration and how to claim. A contractor's workmanship guarantee depends on its terms and the business providing it. An insurance-backed guarantee may offer protection if the contractor ceases trading, but has its own eligibility rules and exclusions. Ask for the actual policy or guarantee wording; do not assume a verbal assurance gives the same protection.

On grants: roof replacement itself is not grant-aided, but attic insulation done alongside roofline work can be. SEAI grants require SEAI-registered contractors and an application approved before work starts, so sequence matters. Again, the SEAI grants explainer has the detail.

If something goes wrong

Set out the problem in writing, keep the quote, messages and photographs, and ask the contractor to respond within a reasonable period. The CCPC explains consumer rights and complaint options. The small-claims procedure covers certain eligible claims of €2,000 or less; check its conditions rather than assuming every building dispute qualifies. These sources were checked on 31 August 2026. Seek appropriate advice for larger or complex disputes, and report suspected fraud to the Gardaí.

Compare roofers: Find a roofer in your county. Directory inclusion is not a FixMyRoof endorsement.

Browse our county roofer directories to compare contractors. Directory inclusion is not a FixMyRoof endorsement, so carry out your own checks using the steps above and obtain itemised quotations.